Where in Melbourne are you? I am just starting up as well and used a narrow crown (1/4 inch I think) air stapler for frames and glued and screwed the boxes (Rabeted type) The air stapler is a godsend, I already had it from another project, bought it from Aldi when they had them but Bunnings have them as well. I couldn't imagine nailing frames together, I think I would still be out in the garage :-D I plan on using it on the next supers I build as well. I'll use finger jointed supers next time and staples will be more enough. I only used rabeted boxes last time as that was all that was available. I used the staple gun for the top and base with a few screws for good measure. I can't remember what size staples I used but I can find out if you are interested.Hope that helps.Paul.

I bought an electric brad nailer for frames. It was a great time saving investment. As far as the supers go, I don't mind nailing them together by hand. I'm sure a pneumatic nailer would be better and maybe more versatile, but 60 bucks verses 200 and I probably would not use the air nailer for anything else but honey frames, I just bought an electric. By the way, does squidink refer to pasta. I too am a chef by trade....David

Hi Paul, I am in Nunawading. What brand and model is the air stapler your using? I have got myself in a great rythem putting the frames together with a hammer and nails but I think i could reduce the time down to 1/4! Specially this season i wish to nock out some more hives..

Hi David a fellow chef! what brand/model electric nailer are you using for the frames?

i do what JP does and sometimes i use glue also. trying to be better about that. i have a pneumatic nailer/stapler and i use nails on the boxes. i have never had a box come undone, but i nail all the way down both sides.

Logged

.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called “the government.” They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I don't know if you are already doing this but I stack 20 side pieces together and use a $.10 glue brush to put the glue on all 20 at once then I start nailing them together. I use a deep super with 1/4" boards stapled across the ends, one just below the rabbet and one about 3 or 4"s down. As I nail them I slide them in the super and it holds them square until they are dried. I did this after finding the first set of frames touching the sides of the super, meaning your bee space is very hap hazard.Jim

Logged

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed."--Mark Twain

Perfect for frames and boxes but you have to use a strong wood glue like Titebond III with the staples.I have two of them. One I hold 1" staples for frames, the other 1 1/2" for boxes with dado joints.

Ben, I use 1" staples on my frames, if you add glue that's even better albeit more time consuming. On woodenware I use 1.5" staples and glue.

Does the same stapler hold both sized staples? If so, which brand do you recommend, JP?

When it comes to frames, I'm ready to start using staples rather than nails.

And although I think I'll stick with nails when it comes to assembling supers, I want to staple supers and bottom boards together on site at cutouts...perhaps that means I can't use an air-powered stapler?

i'm a carpenter & already had a framing gun, 2 trim guns, a brad gun, & a staple gun. all are Sencos. my original reason for buying senco was that they have a luggage type latch that opens the nose for clearing jammed nails. most others require disassembly. all guns sooner or later will jam now & again. i find my guns have fewer problems when i buy senco brand nails instead og generic nails. also an oil type compressor will outlive the oil-less types like the porter cable units sold on the big box stores. BUT if all you are using it for is to build hives an oil-less compressor should last a long time. my compressor is used almost daily.

Hi Paul, I am in Nunawading. What brand and model is the air stapler your using?

Hi Ben.The stapler is Aldi's generic house brand. I got it from there when they had air tools on special. Bunnings have a similar one, brand is Trade Air if I remembr correctly. It's a narrow crown stapler. I used 22mm staples for the frames and the longest ones they had for everything else. They are probably not the best quality tools, but certainly work well enough for a hobbyist.Paul.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

I'm a new bee and really like your frame jig. I notice that the large jig is way taller than the small jig (which you said was made of 2x4's.) I see the large jig will hold the frames in a standing, vertical position while you work. Does the small jig hold the frames upright too? :?